Amid efforts to augment the supply of meat in the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) responded favorably to the call of importers, composed of meat processors and traders, to temporarily extend the validity of their import permit for pork, chicken, and other meat products.

Through the recently signed Administrative Order (AO) 21, Agriculture Secretary William Dar ordered the extension of the validity of SPS Import Clearances (SPSICs) for imported meat from 60 days to 90 days.

In the AO, Dar said "current global COVID situation and supply contraction of container vans have presented shipping and other logistical difficulties" and that such difficulties have prompted stakeholders to request for an extension of the validity of the SPSIC for imported food commodities, especially for imported meat.

"Meat importation contributes to the overall food supply and security of the country," Dar further said upon approving such a request.

The temporary extension will be in effect until December 31, 2021.

For the period of July to October, the country is anticipating the arrival of 140,000 metric tons (MT) of pork imported under the minimum access volume (MAV), which has a lower tariff rate.

This is based on the guidelines released by DA on June 26, which divided the importation of an additional 200,000 MT of pork under MAV into two tranches. The remaining 60,000 MT or 30 percent may only enter the country from November throughout January 2022.

This additional pork supply will be on top of the pork imports that have already entered the country so far for this year. From January to April, global pork exports to the Philippines already surged by 401 percent from 38,979 MT carcass weight equivalent (CWE) during the same period in 2020 to 195,300 MT, Trade Data Monitor shows.

For this year, the majority of the Philippines’ pork imports came from European Union, Canada, United States, Brazil, and United Kingdom.